How does Giannis Trade change Bucks Draft Strategy?

For the first time in nearly 13 years, the Milwaukee Bucks team building strategy no longer involves Giannis Antetokounmpo.

They really did it.

The Bucks actually traded away Giannis.

In return, Milwaukee received the following from Miami:

Tyler Herro
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Kel’el Ware
Kasparas Jakucionis
No. 13 overall pick
2031 first-round pick (via MIA)
2033 first-round pick (via MIA)
2030 first-round pick swap (via MIA)
2033 second-round pick (via MIA)

Milwaukee sent Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami for that package of picks and players.

While that is quite a collection of first-rounders, talents, and prospects, one issue is that there's not really a clear 'bluechip asset' in sight. The odds of any of these pieces having star potential exists, but is much smaller than other more proven young prospects around the league and higher draft picks.

Milwaukee only has one choice on Draft Night – it's time to go Star Hunting.

The Bucks hit the big red button. Now what?

Giannis points at sk — Apr 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) gestures following the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

After moving on from the franchise cornerstone, Milwaukee has optionality on Draft Night

Suddenly, the Bucks are looking at two late lottery picks in one of the most talented classes in recent memory, in a draft order that projects to have similar level of players, if not better, available at Milwaukee's slots (10-15) than the five slots ahead of them.

With the 10th and now 13th pick from Miami in hand, what paths will Milwaukee pursue?

First, the Bucks will consider their draft strategy, the value of draft slots, and evaluate consensus mocks and behind-the-scenes intel to make their own informed decisions about where they expect each team to lean and each prospect to go.

This helps gain awareness of which prospects are likeliest to be available at which slot, which ones might need to be traded up for, and which ones might slip and be there later than they should be; all valuable information for making trades and picks on draft night.

Now with Miami's future firsts and intriguing young talent in hand, Milwaukee could stay hungry on the trade market and look to package some of these picks and players together to move around in the draft, such as moving up higher to bet on a player they love, or start moving off players for even more picks to stick to a good long-term process even if it means committing harder to the rebuild.

With Antetokounmpo out the door, no real star in return, and no clear path to reacquiring a star anywhere near his level anytime soon, the Bucks have no choice but to swing for the fences on draft night.

Bucks now have #10 and #13; Giannis is no longer in the equation; where does Milwaukee go next?

Here are scouting report and notes on four prospects who still make the most sense to me for Milwaukee, based on my scouting process of targeting good two-way basketball players with starry upside – Ebuka Okorie, Labaron Philon, Brayden Burries, Dailyn Swain.

Christian Anderson is another guard worth mentioning in my opinion, a flamethrower 3pt shooter with connective playmaking.

If Milwaukee were to trade up, maybe they'd be unable to crack the Top-4, but what if they love a talent in the 5-9 range like Kingston Flemings, Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff, or Mikel Brown Jr.?

With an extra late lottery pick, maybe the team takes a swing on a talent like Nate Ament or Chris Cenac Jr., who may be a little raw in some areas, but are touted talents throughout this process.

Ament flashed intriguing ball-handling and 3pt shooting chops for a lanky tall forward, despite concerns in efficiency and on defense. Cenac could be a good development fit with new Head Coach Taylor Jenkins, someone who helped bring Jaren Jackson Jr. along in Memphis.

Due to Cenac's outlier rebounding instincts, effective length in wingspan and height, and legit ball skills as a jump shooter to build from, there's a potential two-way talent in there who can score, shoot, defend, and rebound well as a versatile modern big with an old-school game.

Allen Graves, Zuby Ejiofor, Cameron Carr, Jayden Quaintance, Morez Johnson are another five good options worth considering if this Bucks team wants to build out a strong defense to start the next era.

My Final Draft Strategy Goals for this Milwaukee Bucks:

Philon dribbles — Michigan guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) defends Alabama guard Labaron Philon (0) during the first half of NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 round at United Center in Chicago on Friday, March 27, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

1) Target & Draft Ebuka Okorie, Kingston Flemings, or Labaron Philon

Milwaukee restarting its rebuild means a need to hunt for big fish, and to me the three most realistic BPAs the Bucks could land are Okorie, Flemings, and/or Philon. For unselfish creative high feel ball-handling walking buckets like these, the Bucks could bet on as many as they want.

Realistically, Flemings is likeliest to be taken first of the three in the 5-9 range; if Milwaukee's intel says he won't make it to 10, they'll have to trade up to acquire him. If the Bucks rank him as their BPA, they should package the pieces required to move up from 10 and/or 13 to acquire their guy. Flemings is worth both the picks, or one 2026 lottery and one future first, whatever is needed to sweaten the pot; he's that good. Kingston is a potential star two-way guard creator ready to lead the team going forward, and having the guy like that is important to start building a new team identity.

If the team values Okorie or Philon just as much or higher than Flemings as BPA, than the team should do what's necessary to walk away with at least one of these three guards in the Draft when they have 2 picks in their range.

All three are phenomenal swings on skilled basketball assassins that any team will feel lucky to have on their team going forward. Bucks need the right intel to find out if Okorie and/or Philon will be there at 10, let alone 13, to know whether or not they need to move up to get their guy.

Otherwise, even just staying put at 10 and 13 will have great options, and they can always just take BPA at those slots. To me though, these three prospects are in another tier of the draft to me when it comes to Best Players Available, they are in the top tier of talent between win now players with legit on ball star upside.

2) Target & Draft your favorite other guard or a High Impact Two-Way player:

Graves
Swain
Ejiofor
Anderson
Wagler
Mikel
Burries
Carr
Cenac
Quaintance
Morez

These are the 2026 NBA Draft prospects who project to still be available in the 10-13th pick range who show a shimmer of potential All-Star or potential All-Defense as prospects who not only project to be highly impactful two-way players and likely NBA Starters to me, but they also have potential in their own way that could lift their impact to that of a Top-10 defender or Top-30 player level one day.

Wagler, Mikel, Burries are likeliest to be off the board first; it may cost extra to acquire them, but if they are BPA on the Bucks' board, they should do what it takes to get their guy. Anderson is another shooting gravity talent worth considering.

Graves, Swain, Ejiofor, Carr, Cenac, Quaintance, Morez all lean more on the two-way player side of investing in defendsive talents and good basketball players who should impact winning on both ends.

Milwaukee leaving this draft with one of the big time guards like Okorie, Flemings, Philon and one high impact two-way player like Graves, Swain, Ejiofor, Carr, Cenac, Quaintance, or Morez would be my suggestion to start building out a well-balanced lineups going forward.

Because, well, after today, the Greek Freak ain't walking through that door.

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